Sacrifice
by wikelia
Summary: They were going to get MARRIED. They were going to have a future, and she couldn't just disappear. He wouldn't - couldn't - let her just leave like this. Deathfic. A what-if for HTTYD 2. Oneshot.


**My take on the what if Astrid had died instead of Stoick idea. This is my first character death fic, so if it's not good, I deeply apologize. And really, there's no need for me to write this, I'm just feeling very restless right now and I gotta do** _ **something.**_

 _Boom._

He thought he would feel heat, seeing as plasma was one of the hottest things on Earth. He didn't think dying just felt like you had the wind knocked out of you. But when he looked up, he realized that he couldn't say for sure, because he was looking at Toothless. And if Toothless had been the one blasting, he couldn't be in Valhalla. No, something else was going on.

There was a mop of blonde hair lying a few feet from him, and suddenly Hiccup's stomach churned. The blonde hair was a very familiar sight. It was one he had admired since he was a little kid and she had ignored him. Recently, he'd started running his fingers through it. Because Astrid Hofferson had become quite comfortable with him. And he with her.

So why was that blonde hair, which had come out of it's braid, not moving?

He knew for sure that Toothless had not blasted him. And that would mean that someone had pushed him out of the way. And that person was -

" _Astrid,"_ he gasped. Toothless didn't look like he would fire again, so he chanced the run and ran towards the ice and body.

" _Hey. Can I get this sharpened?"_

"Astrid!" he shouted louder because she wasn't moving, wasn't responding. He pushed the ice off of her and turned her to face him. Her eyes were closed and in a sickening moment he realized they would remain that way.

" _That's for kidnapping me. And that's for...everything else."_

He shook her body. His father ran up to him but he didn't notice. Astrid wasn't opening her eyes. "No, no, no. Ast, you _can't._ You _can't."_ He choked on a sob. " _Please,_ Astrid, don't do this." Tears began to formate in his eyes. "You can't. Don't."

Valka followed her husband, and she dropped down to her knees and took Astrid's wrist in her hand. A few seconds passed and she looked up at Hiccup, shaking her head slightly, her eyes full of regret.

" _Here. Happy Snoggletog. From me to you."_

"No."

He shook his head at his mother. He didn't want to believe it. Astrid was a warrior. Any moment she would sit up, groan, and punch him in the arm for getting so worried. After all, it was only fun if you got a scar out of it.

But she wasn't getting up. He shook her harder. They were going to get _married._ They were going to have a future, and she couldn't just disappear. He wouldn't - couldn't - let her just leave like this.

" _No, Hiccup. No one was a better viking than you today."_

He cradled her head in his lap. "Astrid, _please,"_ he begged her. Hiccup _had_ always been rational, most of the time, at least, and that side of him knew that she wasn't going to listen. She wasn't going to listen to him ever again, because she was...because she was…

" _Here I am, ungodly beast - Fearless Astrid Hofferson! Come and get me, if you dare!"_

She was _dead._

 _"One outta two ain't bad. And for what it's worth, I always knew red was your color."_

" _I was talking to Toothless."_

And she still looked so _beautiful._ He couldn't get enough of looking at her, and he'd never get tired of it. Only now, that wasn't necessary. Her lips were parted slightly, but there was no breath coming out. There was _nothing_ coming out. And nothing ever would.

" _But, I still have you."_

The tears started pouring down his cheeks. He could feel both his mother's and father's hands on his back, attempting to comfort him. With a pang, he realized that Valka would never meet Astrid, would never get to call her "future daughter-in-law" like Stoick so fondly did.

He heard the other riders' gasps, but didn't look at them. Instead, he buried his head into her neck, still holding onto her protectively.

" _If you say Dragonfly 2, I'm locking you up."_

He had saved her from drowning one night. Any moment later and she would've died and been lost in the freezing waters. He'd saved her just in time. And, he realized, she had just done the same.

He felt someone else touching her. Looking up, he saw Toothless, pupils wide, staring at Astrid, coming in to nuzzle her hand. Rage filled Hiccup and he shoved his best friend - hard. He wouldn't hurt her again.

"No! Don't touch her!"

He knew it was wrong. But he couldn't help himself. Astrid was _dead,_ and she wasn't coming back. Ever. "Go on, get outta here! _Go!"_

" _What took you so long?"_

It was even worse this time. He really _had_ taken too long. And what was worse that she wasn't the one telling him that, he had to tell himself this time.

He found her hand and squeezed it, but this time, there was no hard squeeze back to remind him that she was stronger.

Astrid's neck was wet with his tears now, he barely heard his mother say, "It's not his fault. You know that."

The girl he'd admired all those years ago in the forge was a warrior. She had always been a warrior.

" _What you're searching for, isn't out there, Hiccup. It's in here."_

And the warrior had now fallen.

" _Maybe you just don't see it yet."_


End file.
